Broom-hanger



G. B. KEPLINGER.

BROOM HANGER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 13. 1919.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE YB. KEPLINGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BROOM-HANGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Application filed. October 13, 1919. Serial No. 330,434.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. KnrLINcnn, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Broom-Hangers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for hanging brooms and similar objects.

The particular object of the present invention is to provide a simple and efiicient device of this character which is equipped with a broom handle supporting or engaging element adapted, when not in use, to be swung against its supporting element on the wall so as to present no obstruction to passage and which is adapted to be turned into engaging relation with and to automatically engage and support the broom handle inserted therein so that the latter will, by its own weight. maintain it in such engagement against accidental removal.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustratinga suitable embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a view in'front elevation of a broom hanger constructed in accordance with the invention, showing the same in its ino erative or idle position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same showing the broom handle engaging elements thereof in engaging relation to a broom handle in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device when in its operative position.

My said device comprises a suitable sheet metal supporting plate 1, which is substantially rectangular in sha'oeand is equipped with perforations 2 for the passage of suitable fastening devices for securing the same to a wall. At its lower end'or along its lower edge the said plate l'is provided with a cylindrical sleeve formation 3 in whichone of the horizontal arms of a U-shaped member 4 is pivotally engaged. The plate 1 is provided with a similar pivot sleeve formation 5 parallel with the sleeve 3 in which one of the horizontal arms of a U-shaped element 6 is engaged. Both said elements 4: and 6 are made of wire and the outer arm of the element 4 is provided with a projection 7 which,

in the instance illustrated, consists of an exeach other so that the middle portion of the member 6 intersects or contacts with the innor end portion of the outer'arm of the member 4:. The outer arm of the member 6 terminates preferably in a loop 9 for convenience in engaging the same and to prevent the presentation of a sharp edge. v

The pivot sleeves 3 and 5 are preferably so formed or the nature of their engagement with the arms of the members 4 and 6 engaged therein is such as to provide sui'licient frictional resistance to the free pivotal movement of said members 4 and 6 as to prevent them I from dropping by gravity from their normal positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The connection between the outer arm of the member 'and the middle portion of the member 6 is such that both said members 4% and 6 will be caused to turn on their pivots in unison. As the latter are disposed at different elevations, the pivotal movement thereof downwardly from their normal positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 will cause the outer arms of said members 4 and 6 to approach each other and thus clamp an object disposed between the same firmly to support said object. The weight of said object tends to elfect sufficient pressure upon the memberseand 6 to effect firm engagement and support of the object. To disengage the object it is only necessary to slightly lift the same and then move it out of the substantially U-shaped space formed between the clamping arms and the middle portion of the member 6 as will be obvious. The user may then manually turn the members 4 and 6 back to the position shown in Figs.- 1 and 2, thus maintaining them out of the way of persons passing them.

The back or supporting plate 1 is long enough so that the ring 9 on the free end of the member 6 lies within the area of same when the two supporting elements are raised against the plate. This extension of the plate 1 prevents the clamping elements martorced-out o fits true flat position b'yineans of a-inarginal rib 10 which is formed in the plate in the process of stamping same out. These ribs 10 are formed ,by'pressing shal- {10W grooves into the back of the plate and i by this means I am enabled to greatly re duce the weight off the device and to increase fits rigidity against-being bent by the weight -O%f broom supported thereby.

.flhese'ribs also serve to prevent the-free re- ;moval' of the arms of the two ll-shaped {clamping members which are mounted in the sleeves 3 and ,5 as it is necessary to spring these members into the sleeves past therib adjacent to the connected ends of the arms when mounting them in the sleeves.

I preferably form the free rearwardlyextending ends 7 of the member 4 so that it will engage the middle portion of the member 6 with a frictional engagement which prevents the :tree falling at the two clamping elements when disengaged from a broom. This frictional engagement of the two elements can be produced without substantially any additional cost and is much more certain and positive in its action than the frictional engagement of the pivetally mounted arms in the sleeves 3 and 5.

i While'I have shown the preferred embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawings, it will be obvious, of course, that such" embodiment may be changed and varied in details of construction without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as invention:

1. broom hanger comprising a sup porting element adapted to be mounted on a wall, all-shaped element having one of its .arms pi-votally engaged with said sup- -port1-ng elem'entto swing on a horizontal pivotally engaged with said supporting Veleaxis, a companion similar element similarly ment at a lower elevation than the first U- shaped element and having the free end of ments are caused to move pivotally in flflIllSOIl and 11111811 outer arms to move toward and from each other during such pivotal movement.

2. A broom hanger comprising a supporting element and a pair of clamping elements pivotally engaged with said supporting element and having sliding engagement with each other for causing them to move pivotally in unison, and a projection on each of said clamping elements the same being adapted to move toward and from each other to engage and disengage objects interposed between the same as said clamping elements are'pivotally moved in one or other direction, said elements formed for mutual frictional engagement as land forzthe ing element and having sliding engagement with each other for causing them to move pivotally in unison, the pivotal axes oafsaid clamping members being horizontally -iolisposed at respectively "different elevations, a projection on each of said clam-ping elements the same being adapted to move toward and from each other to engage objects interposed therebetween as the clampiing elements are swung to cause their out- :er-most ends to move downwardly. the enthereby by its own weight and a formed up rib on the supporting plate preventing the tree removal of said clamping elements from their pivotal engagement with the plate.

4. In a device of the kind described. a supporting plate of quite thin sheetametal provided with a marginal rib for stiflening the plate. two cofiperating clamping members pivetallv mounted ontbe plate adiacent to its lower end and at different heights whereby the clamping members tend to distort the plate when holding a broom, the clamping members being foldable up against the plate when not in use and the plate extending upwardly a sufficient distance to prevent the upper ends of the clamping members contacting with the wall above the plate.

5. In a device of the kind described, 'a su porting plate. two coiperating Ll-shaped m mbers pivotallv mounted on the plate-at different heights; one of the members having its free end bent rearwardly and formed to clamp he middle portion of the other member with fri tional pressure to prevent the free swinging of the two members.

6. In a device of the kind described, a wall plate made of thin sheet-metal provided with a marginal pressed in rib pro,- jecting from the face thereof, two horizontally extending sleeves on the face of the plate, two cooperating U-shaped clamping members each having an arm in one of the sleeves, the rib on the plate adjacent to the bodies of the clamping members preventing the free removal of the arms from said sleeve, the members having frictional engagement with each other to prevent the free swinging thereof.

7. In a device of the kind described, a wall plate, two cooperating U -shaped clamping members each mounted upon one arm upon the plate, the mountings being at difierent heights to cause their outer ends to approach each other as they are swung on their mounted arms, the lower member being shorter than the upper member and its free arm bent back upon itself and formed to embrace the body of said longer member and bind it against the base portion of said free arm to cause a frictional engagement of the two arms.

GEORGE B. KEPLINGER. 

